Extroversion
This is the final chapter, everypony! I want to thank all of you who had read it, favourited it, liked it, and commented. :) I'm very surprised at the reception of this, but I am very grateful you all have given it a chance.
The ending is intentional. It's up to you, and that's all I shall say about it.
So, one last thing, there are two Stephen King references in this. One of which is kind of obvious, and the other is so brief in passing, you might miss it. But if you find them, yay. X3
Enjoy, everypony.
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Needless to say, Rainbow Dash had been slightly taken aback when Fluttershy leaned her head onto her shoulder. It had been very unexpected at this moment, considering the mild tension in the air between them. Of course, she was far from complaining. Why think of it, when you could just enjoy it?
That's exactly what Rainbow Dash decided to do. The goofy smile didn't leave her face as she relaxed, gently leaning her head against Fluttershy's in return. Fluttershy's sweet flowery scent filled her nose, adding to the comforting atmosphere around her. Her mane, the softest thing her hooves had ever touched were gently brushed against her fur, which had her fighting back the urge to both sniff it and bury her face in it, but was still a wonderful addition to this little moment. Rainbow Dash felt her heart swell, her insides grow warm, and even her cheeks heated up as well. She felt as if she were nestling on a cloud with the warmest, most comfortable blanket.
It was awesome. Even better, Fluttershy seemed to be relaxed and wasn't as tense as she expected her to be. Maybe things were just fine, after all. They'd been this close before, and maybe this was just a sign that things were just fine. That there was nothing wrong, no rift between them, no tension, nothing. Rainow Dash felt relieved. She would've rather lost the chance of a lover than her best friend altogether.
The two Pegasi were silent as they sat together like this, merely staring out the window at the nighttime rolling landscape. At the moment, they were passing a town located in the middle of a field, which at nighttime had all their lights on, visibly forming silhouettes of the houses and buildings within it. All the night from outside seemed to reflect on the windows, illuminating the train car cabin just a bit, reflecting on their forms as well. All too soon, it was gone, with only the open landscape and Luna's moon high above in the sky.
For some time, the contended silence were the only sounds they could hear, aside from their light breathing. It was after a while, neither knew how long, before the silence was broken, surprisingly, by Fluttershy.
“...Rainbow Dash?”
“Yeah?” Rainbow Dash angled her head a bit to look at her, without leaving the comforting feel of her mane.
“I was...wondering at all...um....you were dancing with Soarin'...and all...right?” Fluttershy managed, her voice soft.
Rainbow Dash frowned thoughtfully for a moment, wondering where this was going. “Yeah, I was! Why do you ask?”
Fluttershy swallowed, her nervousness getting the better of her. She wanted to just ask this right out, get it over with and see Rainbow Dash's answer about it. Just to get this off her mind and maybe put her thoughts at ease for a change. But her nerves were building up in her stomach like hard walls. Did she even want to know the answer to this? She wasn't even sure, but she knew she had to figure it out if she wanted any kind of closure on the matter.
“I wondered...if something...well, anything occurred between you both...” Fluttershy managed, her voice even more of a whisper.
“You mean, if something happened?” Rainbow Dash blinked, but then shook her head. “Wait, no! No! Of course not! Why would you think that?”
“Well...everypony seemed to notice, and Rarity was even talking about the...possibilities,” Fluttershy looked down a bit.
“Oh. Well, you know Rarity!” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “No, Fluttershy. There's nothing going on between him and I. Besides, I think the Wonderbolts are awesome, they're my heroes, my idols. I want to fly with them, perform with them, even hang out with them! But romance with them? No way! I never even thought of them that way, not even Soarin'! It's really awkward, and just wouldn't work out, whether or not I was a member! I don't know what Rarity or anypony were thinking, but no. Besides, Soarin' was flirting with Applejack after we danced! If anything, she'd make a better match for him than me! She flirted right back, so it was definitely mutual!”
“...Really?” Fluttershy now lifted her head a bit to look at her. She wasn't sure if she felt relieved about this news or not.
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash smiled, nodding. “But...why would that bother you, Fluttershy?”
Eyes wide, Fluttershy squeaked as she wondered if her best friend had caught on to why she was even asking about it. “I...I...it didn't bother me.”
Rainbow Dash sighed a bit, not buying her excuse. There had been something in Fluttershy's tone that conveyed uneasiness, and the way she was acting more nervous right now, as if a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar, just said everything. “Fluttershy...I know you, and I know when something bothers you. So come on, spill. Why would that bother you?” She brought her foreleg around Fluttershy's shoulders, looking to her with curiosity and concern.
Swallowing, Fluttershy looked into the cyan mare's concerned deep rose eyes. Her cheeks heated up a bit as she knew by now that she couldn't hide anything from her. Not from her best friend. The one pony she trusted the most with her secrets, aside from Rarity and with her feelings. Her lip trembled, her mind was scrambling for the right words, and the smell of Rainbow Dash was all but distracting her.
“I...I...I just....I was...I was afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Of...Of....losing you,” Fluttershy confessed, her gaze downcast.
“Losing me?” Rainbow Dash repeated, looking a little confused. “What do you mean losing me?”
“Well...you would...h-have a coltfriend...and maybe even join the Wonderbolts because of it...and then I'd never see you...” Fluttershy's voice became a bit of a whimper as her ears flattened.
Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide she processed this. A part of her felt a stab of disappointment, that Fluttershy wasn't quite as jealous as she hoped, but pushed that aside. She had a legitimate little fear of losing a friend because of a romantic relationship and joining a team. That in itself was disheartening, considering how it really seemed to bother Fluttershy a lot.
“Awww...Fluttershy, pal, come on. Don't think that,” The rainbow-maned Pegasus brought her foreleg around her a bit tighter, bringing her closer. “As unlikely as it may be, okay, let's pretend that for a minute. If that were true, come on! I wouldn't abandon you or our friends! I'm the Element of Loyalty, after all! Nothing would make me abandon you guys, especially you, Fluttershy! You're my best friend, and I'd never leave you like that. Sure, as a Wonderbolt, I might be gone a lot, but I'd also be coming back often during vacations, and they don't perform during the winter, and sometimes in-between during fall or spring, that's when they're training and that often happens separately, before they all get together to train some more. You remember all that, right? I've told you that before.”
Butterflies fluttered in her stomach, making the creamy yellow mare look down with a bit of embarrassment. How could she have forgotten that? Whenever Rainbow Dash talked endlessly about the Wonderbolts, she gladly listened and paid attention to the details. She wondered if maybe all this tension and anxiety was getting to her and having it that she wasn't thinking clearly.
“But that's beside the point,” Rainbow Dash continued. “I'd write letters, I'd come see you guys anytime I can. Ponyville is still my home, after all! It's not like I'd leave and never come back, that'd be stupid! Besides, the Wonderbolts all have lives and homes of their own, so even they need to get home and unwind. And even if I did have a coltfriend...” A grimace came to her face as she said this. “I'd still make time for you and for our friends. Having a coltfriend doesn't mean I can't or wouldn't have friends, that's stupid.”
Fluttershy looked up at her then, feeling her heart swell. The feeling was getting to her again, and was even stronger than before. Rainbow Dash wasn't going anywhere, and she wasn't about to be swept off her feet by a stallion she couldn't come close to competing with.
Wait.
'What am I thinking? That makes it sound as if...no, I can't possibly...oh...I don't even know!'
“So, that garbage about losing me? That's never going to happen, Fluttershy. I promise you,” the cyan Pegasus assured her, and gave her a hug. “You can't get rid of me that easily!”
Unable to help it, Fluttershy gave a warm laugh before she hugged her friend back. All strange feelings aside, she was glad that she would never lose Rainbow Dash, and neither would their friends. Her heart pounded with happiness, butterflies continued to flutter in her stomach, as well building up like boiling water.
“No, I suppose I can't,” Fluttershy felt herself smile.
“Of course not!” Rainbow Dash pulled back to look her in the eye.
Seeing her smile, she felt her wings flap a bit with happiness. Nothing made her feel better than Fluttershy's sweet smile. Did the pink-maned mare have any idea how wonderful she looked right now? With the glow of the moonlight on her form, the dimly lit car, it all just added to the atmosphere, and enhanced Fluttershy's beauty. Try as she may, it was impossible not to get lost in her, especially since this was by far a very tender moment. “Besides, Fluttershy, I can't explain it, but...”
'Oh horse feathers, now I'm going to sound like a cheesy actor, or reciting lines from a book, or some sappy love song in a musical!' The cyan mare thought in panic, trying not to get too nervous in front of her. 'But I just have to say it! I've kept it inside a lot! Maybe I've said things like it a bit before, but that was nothing, and now there's this! Darn it! I'm no good at this sappy stuff! But I HAVE to tell her!'
“I mean, you know, we've had our tough times before. But I'll never abandon you, not ever!” Rainbow Dash shook her head, biting her lip a bit as she tried hard to gather the words without seeming too cheesy, but without leaving anything out, either. “It's just, Fluttershy, you really give me strength I never knew, ever since I met you, you did. And you show you care, which has always meant...well, a lot! I just...Fluttershy, I don't know how else to put it, but...” Defeated, the rainbow Pegasus looked down a bit as a tint of a blush coated her cheeks. “You give me strength, you show you care, I feel I can't fail with you so close to me, and... I know I'd be lost without you.”
Fluttershy's eyes went wide as she processed this, processed her best friend in the world pouring her heart out to her. It wasn't the first time she made this kind of a confession to her (which Fluttershy sometimes did, too), but the weight of her words, and her tone, the way she looked at her then, really set on her heart. It pounded vigorously, melted, dropped, and soared, as if it couldn't make up its mind to how it wanted to express the feelings inside. The pink-maned Pegasus felt a certain strength at her words, to know she meant this much to somepony, and to Rainbow Dash, even now, still meant the world to her. After all, she felt the same way. Just knowing her best friend would always be there, in her life somehow, was always something she could always take comfort in.
She blushed a bit, feeling her heart swell again as she looked down a bit. But then she nuzzled Rainbow Dash appreciatively with her cheek.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash...you don't know how happy that makes me. I'm so glad I could make you feel this way, that we all can in our own ways. You're my best friend too, and I really would feel so lost, so alone, so unsure...without you,” Fluttershy fought back tears, keeping her composure and trying to stay strong. “You were always there for me, you've helped me in so many ways, and even in our toughest moments...you never failed to be a good friend to me. You always came back, you never gave up on me, even when I would have understood if you did...”
“Fluttershy, you know, I'm sorry I was ever so hard on you,” Rainbow Dash looked down in shame, her ears flattening. “You didn't deserve it, and I was being an idiot.”
“It's all right, Rainbow...I don't regret them. Because...they've made our friendship so much stronger,” Fluttershy smiled.
This made Rainbow Dash look up with surprise. “Really? You think so?”
“Well...we're here now, aren't we?” Fluttershy smiled a bit more. “Sometime last year, I don't think you would have even been caught dead snuggling with me...even in private.”
Rainbow Dash blushed and chuckled a little. “I guess you're right.”
“The point is though, good times and bad, we'll always be friends, and always work things out...to prove that nothing could tear us apart.” Fluttershy said softly. “If there's one thing I learned since we all truly became friends, all thanks to Twilight...and all of us too, that nothing can destroy friendship if we never give up on each other and keep fighting.”
Feeling a surge of warmth, Rainbow Dash resisted the urge to just tackle the creamy yellow mare in a huge hug and smother her with kisses. It was a silly notion and she felt silly for thinking of it, but Fluttershy never failed to bring out the side of her she tried to keep hidden from anypony, unless it was a dire moment. The softer, gentler, kinder, sympathetic, more...romantic side of her that she oftentimes had trouble expressing, but was still in there, just waiting.
'She really says the most awesome things sometimes...'
“Yeah, you're right about that,” came the response of the cyan Pegasus. “Guess it makes sense. We've made it this far after everything!”
The two Pegasi laughed a bit, feeling a lot better than they'd felt in the past while since having been in each other's company. Warmth, bliss, trust, happiness, everything wonderful just seemed to radiate from everything all over again, rejuvenating them. Rainbow Dash felt less tense, Fluttershy felt less anxious, and they just simply basked in each other's presence.
“Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash spoke up, breaking the silence. “you remember that promise we made when we were fillies, right? About always being friends?”
Smiling, Fluttershy nodded as she giggled a little at the memory. “Of course I remember. It was one of the things I cherished the most from our days as fillies.”
“Heh...me too,” the cyan Pegasus confessed with a chuckle. “Even in my worst moments, I just kind of never forgot that, and never wanted to give that up, you know?”
“I agree...I felt the same way...”
“Yeah? Guess it carried over the years for both of us, didn't it?”
“Hee...it certainly did, Rainbow Dash.”
Smiling more, she leaned over and nuzzled her nose against the creamy yellow mare's own nose, which earned a cute giggle from her. Oh, how her heart just swelled! Fluttershy always made the cutest noises, and her voice was the sweetest thing she'd ever heard in a long time.
Feeling bold, Rainbow Dash gently lay their foreheads together, just looking into her eyes. “You're cute, Fluttershy,” she said tenderly, smiling.
Fluttershy blushed, but didn't make an attempt to move away. “Oh, stop it...”
“I don't think so, the way you're blushing now, just makes me want to go on and on,” the cyan mare winked at her, grinning. She wondered if Fluttershy would catch on to the fact that she was flirting with her, as well as teasing her.
“Nooo...” Fluttershy drawled, giggling with delight. “Um...well, you're pretty...you looked beautiful in your bridesmaid gown,” she just couldn't help but wonder how she'd react to being told that.
As expected, Rainbow Dash's eyes went wide and her cheeks immediately flushed over, tinting with bright pink. Fluttershy smiled, giggling a little at seeing her all flustered. It was adorable! Seeing the normally confident, brash, sporty and tough Rainbow Dash actually break down her walls and get all blushy from a compliment. It really did prove all the more that she was indeed a mare, however much of a tomcolt she was.
“Fluttershy, come on....” Rainbow Dash's tone dropped to sounding embarrassed. “I kinda had to look my best, and Rarity put a lot of work into it...and it did suit me fine, but come on, I didn't look THAT good.”
“Don't be silly, Dashie,” Fluttershy threw in the little teasing nickname she had sometimes called her as a filly, and also hearing it sometimes from Pinkie Pie. She was one of the only few who could ever call her that, to which she did in private, like right now. She giggled again at seeing the rainbow mare just shrink back a bit with sheepishness. “When you take care of yourself and let your features enhance, you really are...pretty,” her eyelids lowered a bit as she smiled.
Rainbow Dash blushed even more. Fluttershy wasn't just saying nice things back, she was teasing her too! As well as that, hearing such sweet compliments from somepony who meant a lot to you, or that you loved, just brought it all out, none the less. She never considered herself pretty, or even thought of it, for that matter. Looks didn't matter, except for her awesome rainbow mane and tail, that much she always liked to showcase. But everything else, she just simply didn't take pride in her appearance. Why would she? She didn't need to look good. It was all about her skills, that was what she wanted everypony to remember her for, the fact that she was the fastest and coolest flier out of Cloudsdale. Not by how she looked. Except, yet again, for her distinctive mane and tail. She didn't want to be on the front page of the Equestria Daily with a story about how good her flank looked.
“Well it was a wedding, sure I had to look NICE at least...okay, you can stop now...I think we get it,”
Fluttershy giggled, giving her a nuzzle. She wasn't sure how she was able to say and do such bold things at the moment, but she just couldn't help but have a little fun like this. It was true that Rainbow Dash could definitely bring out this side of her, to just have fun and make some light-hearted humour together. She felt so happy now, any and all worries and anxiety just seemed to have melted away. Just as they always seemed to when they spent time together and just had fun. That was something Fluttershy always adored, to know that with Rainbow Dash, she could loosen up and just have some fun, and enjoy it while doing so. Because they were sharing it together.
“All right, no more teasing. But I do mean it, you looked...really lovely,” Fluttershy smiled, pulling back a bit.
Once more Rainbow Dash blushed but managed to gather herself. “Well, guess it goes to show that I can look awesome in anything, anytime! That dress did make me look 20% cooler!”
The creamy yellow Pegasus laughed heartily, nodding in agreement. “Yes, that's a good way of looking at it. If that makes you feel better.”
“Ha! Told ya!” Rainbow Dash winked at her and grinned. “And you know, not for nothing, you looked nice too. It was nice! The dress, yeah, I meant the dress,” she smiled sheepishly and rubbed her foreleg nervously.
“Oh, thank you...it did turn out very lovely,” Fluttershy looked away with a coy smile, blushing a little. “Everypony looked wonderful, of course...”
'That's Fluttershy, never missing a moment to think of others.' Rainbow Dash thought with a smile. “Yep! You're right about that! It's a wedding, a royal wedding, so duh, of course we all had to look our best! Even I know that!”
Fluttershy laughed a bit, shaking her head a little. “That's very true. Well, as I said before, it was a wonderful wedding...”
“Best wedding ever, if I do say so myself! How many weddings do I get to perform a Sonic Rainboom? And for a royal wedding!” Rainbow Dash grinned, spreading her forelegs for emphasis. “Heh, if I get married, I'm so doing a Sonic Rainboom, no questions asked!”
Now the rainbow-maned Pegasus paused a moment as she said that. Where did that come from? Granted, it was an off-handed remark and something she would very well say to prove her awesomeness, even just something she would do, but it seemed odd. Then again, considering they had just been to a wedding and there was still the post-wedding lingering about, so it might have been that. But she couldn't help but wonder if within the deep recess of her mind, it meant something more.
Rainbow Dash pushed the thought aside. It was far too early to be thinking about that. Not to mention it was presumptuous as it ever could be, all things considered.
Then again, the thought of Fluttershy in a wedding dress, maybe one similar to the one Princess Cadance wore, with a different outlook... It left her smiling goofily at the thought. How beautiful Fluttershy would look, in all of her graceful, sweet beauty...
Rainbow Dash shook her head furiously to get that thought out of her mind. 'Jeez, I haven't even told her how I felt and I'm already planning our wedding? What's wrong with me?! I never even thought of anything like that until now! I just realized today I that I love Fluttershy...and I think of THAT? Okay, okay, I gotta calm down. We just came from a wedding, so that's kinda why I thought of it, right? Yeah, let's go with that! But then again, it's not to say I WOULDN'T marry Fluttershy at all, it's just-what the hay am I thinking?! Darn it! I need to think of something else! Anything! Okay, Wonderbolts, Wonderbolts...Daring Doo...comic books...flying...'
“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy looked at her best friend curiously, wondering why she seemed tense and frustrated all of a sudden. “Rainbow, are you all right?”
“Huh?” Rainbow Dash blinked, and then regained herself. “Y-Yeah, I'm fine...I guess I was kinda thinking of...something silly and I was trying not to...heh heh...” She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
“Oh,” Fluttershy smiled in understanding and nodded. “I see.”
Yet another silence befell the two of them, neither sure if this was awkward or not. Considering they'd been quiet, lost in their thoughts ever since Rainbow Dash arrived, it almost seemed that it would be normal for them to be so quiet again. But now that they had gotten to talking (and occasional flirting), it just felt wrong to end it. Each other's company and sharing light-hearted fun, or just nattering about whatever was on their minds had been nice. The warm, quiet atmosphere of the night just seemed to add to it, making them feel relaxed and comfortable, a perfect time to just unwind after a very long day (or few weeks in this case).
At the same time, a wave of calm fell over Rainbow Dash as she just smiled warmly toward her longtime companion. A lot of great memories came back to her, both in the past while and right this second as she just gazed at her. It was impossible not to feel happy, peaceful and so relaxed around Fluttershy. With almost anypony (aside from her friends), Rainbow Dash had to show off, to be all tough and brash, go on about how awesome she was, and the like. But with Fluttershy, she felt she could just relax. In most cases, she would consider it boring. But in time, she learned that maybe, sometimes just doing nothing was nice. To say the least, it was refreshing, and Rainbow Dash knew she had to rest up whenever she practiced. It made sense, being lazy and making sure to take naps every day only added to it. She came to see it as that, just as she would be taking a nap on a cloud, that this was like a nap.
Fluttershy just had a way of making you feel relaxed, that you didn't have to do anything extreme or even physical to get her approval. If you just treated her nicely, talked with her and sat down with her, she would more than happily reciprocate, and that was all she needed. Sure, Rainbow Dash loved entertaining her with her tricks, and Fluttershy supported her and gladly watched, but that was more out of fun and because she wanted to. As well as that good for practice.
It was just one of the things Rainbow Dash loved about Fluttershy. She was a simple pony with simple tastes.
A little clock compartment on the wall ticked the time. It was four past midnight.
Despite Rainbow Dash's competitive, daredevil mannerisms, it was odd that Fluttershy never felt she had to compete with it. Which was strange too, considering she was a Pegasus and would be able to...if she let herself and was strong enough. But regardless, despite that her best friend would encourage her to be more assertive and to fly better and faster, she knew all the more it was never out of making her an equal daredevil. Fluttershy always felt grateful for it, and knew it was just one of the indications that Rainbow Dash truly did like her for her who she was, and that they were indeed friends. In all, she never felt the need to compete with it. She didn't have to, or want to. Instead, she supported her friend about it (so long as she was careful!), and enjoyed watching it happen than doing it herself.
On the other hoof, Fluttershy did enjoy flying with her. Even without the daredevil aerial stunts Rainbow Dash enjoyed, she knew that the other Pegasus just loved to fly in general. To just be free and soar the skies. To think she herself could fly too, that it meant they could fly side by side together. Of course, even if she couldn't fly, it wouldn't affect their friendship. If anything, it was an added bonus they could share.
Overall, Fluttershy may have once felt it during fillyhood, but she never felt she had to compete with Rainbow Dash. It was a wonderful feeling.
'Rainbow Dash is really a wonderful friend. I just...wonder what this feeling means now. I feel it, my heart is pounding, I have butterflies in my stomach, and I wonder what it all could mean. I feel scared... Do I want to know? Do I?' Fluttershy thought, feeling anxious all over again. But the sight of her friend's smiling face just made her melt. As if she had just eaten the most wonderful piece of cake. “....Rainbow Dash...”
“Yeah?” Rainbow Dash replied curiously, but kept smiling.
“....Are you happy?”
“Huh? Happy?”
Fluttershy wondered where that came from, but decided to just roll with it. “Yes...do you feel happy? You're smiling...you look very happy.”
“Oh,” Rainbow Dash chuckled, and leaned toward her a bit. “Actually, Fluttershy, sure I'm happy. I'm real happy. Being here with you right now is great.”
This made the creamy yellow Pegasus blush a bit, but she smiled in return as her eyelids lowered. “I'm so glad you're happy. That's truly wonderful to hear, Rainbow...”
Feeling her smile grow, Rainbow Dash nuzzled Fluttershy affectionately. “Thanks, Flutters. What about you? You feel happy, too?”
Searching her mind for a good answer, all it took was one gaze at her best friend, and the entire answer was clear. Fluttershy felt her heart swell yet again, feeling as if she were drapped in a big hug with somepony she cared about. “I am happy, Rainbow Dash...I'm very happy. I'm happy to be here with you...”
Oh, this was just too much! Rainbow Dash could feel her control slipping, her mind going awry. If it was possible to fall even more in love with Fluttershy than before, it was certainly happening right now. Her throat tightened, her heart pounded, and there was even sweat building up at her forehead. She just couldn't hold it in anymore. She had to tell her. If nothing else, to just to be honest with her, to tell the truth. One would think that holding it in this long was nothing. But that wasn't true. Rainbow Dash hadn't been holding it in for less than a month.
She had been holding it in for years. She just never knew it.
“Awesome,” Rainbow Dash managed in response, and took a deep breath.
It was now or never. She had to do it, or else she would lose her nerve and then who knows how long it would take for her to try it again. It was time. Time to tell Fluttershy that she loved her.
“....Listen, um, Fluttershy, I got something to tell you,” Rainbow Dash looked her friend in the eye, and gulped a little. Already she could feel that this was not going to be easy at all.
“Hmm?” Fluttershy looked at her curiously, tilting her head. “What is it?”
“...Well...Fluttershy...this isn't gonna be easy for me to say, but I have to say it, I have to tell you!” Rainbow Dash squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to gather the words she could say.
But how to say it? Should she just come out with one simple statement of “I love you”? Or to slowly build up to it, saying sweet things to her, and then concluding it with that she loved her. Whatever option, she had to do it right, she couldn't scare her away, but she couldn't hold anything back either, she had to-
“Fluttershy...I love you!”
Her mouth ended up betraying her mind.
Fluttershy blinked in confusion, but then smiled a little. “Well, I love you too...I love all our friends...and my animal friends...”
Rainbow Dash nearly fell over. Of all the times she had to misconstrue something she said, it had to be this. But no, she couldn't lose her temper. She had to be patient, to just explain what she meant.
“N-No! Fluttershy...I didn't mean it like that. I meant...Fluttershy, I love you,” the cyan Pegasus' voice dropped to a soft whisper as she edged closer to her friend. “I'm in love with you, Fluttershy... I can't explain it! I just...I just...I'm in love with you, okay?”
Just like that, Fluttershy just about felt her life change all over again. The battle against Nightmare Moon couldn't top it. Nor could the battle against Discord. No adventure they'd embarked, no foe they faced, no obstacle they overcome, felt as life-changing as this.
All that could ever come close, was during the battle against the Changelings. When that one moment occurred...
She was loved. Loved by her best riend. Her best friend had just confessed romantic love to her. Fluttershy wanted to respond somehow, but couldn't. She was shocked. Was this what she was trying to run away from? The fear of the unknown when it came to being in love? Was this the feeling? Love?
'She loves me....Rainbow Dash loves me... She loves me...'
Once again, her heart pounded, swelled, dropped, soared, and even skipped a beat, or so it felt that way. The butterflies were gone, there were sparrows flying in her stomach, a whole flock of them. The atmosphere around her became heavy, yet light all at once. So many things made sense, but then so many more questions arose. Moreover, what to do? What did she even feel in return?
“I....I...Rainbow Dash...I never....would've thought...”
Rainbow Dash's ears drooped as tears built up in her eyes. She gazed down the seat, not meeting her gaze. “Just get it over with, Fluttershy. Just tell me you don't feel the same way. Don't start sparing my feelings.”
“...Rainbow...” Fluttershy murmured gently, feeling her heart wrench at the sight of her best friend looking torn up over the potential rejection. “I mean to say that...I...I...don't....I don't know...”
A little spark of hope entered the cyan mare's eyes as she looked up at her then.
“How I feel...I don't know...but um...Rainbow Dash...I....I appreciate your feelings, I do....” A little smile came to her face.
“....You do?” Rainbow Dash managed, wiping her eyes in an attempt to rid the tears that were welling up. “You don't hate me?”
“Of course I don't. You're my best friend, and...how you feel about me...you can't help it....” Fluttershy looked down a bit. “I could never hate you, Rainbow...especially not for something like that. Ever.”
A grateful smile overcame Rainbow Dash's countenance as she then brought Fluttershy into a gentle hug. Her heart swelled when the other mare immediately returned it. The two remained this way for a moment, just savouring the moment of understanding and revelation between them. Despite that Rainbow Dash didn't quite receive the answer she hoped so much for, she felt immensely relieved that Fluttershy not only didn't hate her, but also understood and appreciated her feelings. The weight was lifted from her shoulders and her heart, she felt a lot better having confessed her feelings of love.
But the questions at the back of her mind still lingered. What now? What would become of them? Would Fluttershy ever love her back? Would they still stay friends?
“...Fluttershy?”
“Yes?”
“...You don't know how you feel? At all?” The daredevil Pegasus managed, biting her lip. “I mean! Not that I'm pressuring you, I just...well I...you know...”
Fluttershy blinked, but could see what she meant. “Well, I can't say I do...but I also can't say I don't...um...oh...Rainbow Dash, I wish I could give you a straight answer! I wish I could make you happy...but I don't know.”
When she looked up, she came to see an understanding smile, despite it still being a little sad.
“I mean...I wish there was some way I could figure it out...”
“...Well, if you'd let me, I could help you figure one way out...” Rainbow Dash blushed a bit. “I'll stop if you don't want me to.”
“...What is it?” Fluttershy asked, feeling both curious and anxious.
Rainbow Dash cleared her throat, managing to try to compose herself as much as possible. “Can I kiss you? It might help if you know whether or not you like it.”
Silence befell them yet again as Fluttershy seemed to contemplate about it. All of a sudden, Rainbow Dash was nervous again. She felt sweaty, as if she were about to burst from all the anxiety building up in her gut. She was even about to speak up and say that she was just kidding before the shy mare made a response.
“Yes...you can....” Fluttershy blushed madly.
“....Really? You don't mind?”
“No...no, I don't mind...”
Fluttershy swallowed a little. But in all, considering how she liked the kiss on her nose from before, she could only imagine how a kiss on the mouth would feel like. Maybe it was Rainbow Dash's confession of love that had her curious of what it would be like, and what it would feel if they kissed. At the same time, she couldn't help but feel something else. This was her best friend, somepony she had shared so much things in her life with, from fillyhood, now to marehood. She just couldn't think of anypony she would be willing to share a kiss with than her. To share such a sweet, intimate gesture of affection with somepony so close to her was almost as alluring as she could imagine.
Rainbow Dash meanwhile felt both excited and nervous at the same time. To be able to kiss Fluttershy properly, as some kind of way to bestow her love to her in a physical manner. To have the chance to share even just one kiss with the mare she loved was enough to send her heart into a mad frenzy. At the same time, she felt nervous and hoped with all she had that she wouldn't take advantage of the shyer Pegasus. She could never do that to her, and hoped the experience would at least be nice for her, even if they would never kiss again. She blushed, looked to Fluttershy as steadily as possible, swallowing a little.
'Don't think! Just do it! But I have to go slowly, I can't come on too strongly, I don't want to scare her away. But I also don't want to take forever and-no! Fluttershy comes first. Always.'
The two Pegasi sat across from each other, just looking at one another, silently preparing themselves. Within a few moments, Rainbow Dash leaned in closer to her. She paused, giving Fluttershy a moment to either respond or to just feel more prepared for the moment. The animal caretaker didn't move forward, but also didn't move back, she simply remained where she was. Relieved, at least for that, the cyan Pegasus moved in closer, closer...
Lips a barely a few inches away, their eyes closed. Rainbow Dash looked to her for one last moment before her eyes drifted shut. Now or never, she slowly moved in and closed the gap between them, their lips meeting.
Fluttershy felt as if her heart was going to burst out of her chest. The strange feeling of their lips touching, something she'd never felt before in her life, overtook her. It was all she could feel, all she could think about. Only her nose, taking in the sweet rain and lily scents from Rainbow Dash, seemed to be the only part of her senses, aside from feeling, that seemed to function properly.
She felt nervous, tense, and unsure.
'What to do? Do I move, or do I stay still?' Fluttershy thought in panic. She could only imagine how long or how much Rainbow Dash must've wanted this. She wanted to do what she could to make it memorable, to at least give her something nice to go off by even if they never kissed again.
At the same time, Fluttershy couldn't help but feel the strange, odd notion that she almost never wanted to know what it would feel like to kiss somepony else.
As for Rainbow Dash, she felt ready to melt. To kiss Fluttershy like this was heavenly. She too though, sat still, almost afraid to move, given that she could feel just how tense the sunshine Pegasus was. As if one wrong move would send her into becoming a shrinking violet.
'Jeez, get over yourself. Fluttershy wouldn't have agreed to this if she would be that nervous. She is braver than she gives herself credit for. She CAN say no. Just give it time, then slowly do something.' She thought.
After a few moments, she applied a little pressure against Fluttershy's lips as she kissed her gently. Fluttershy yet again seemed to stiffen with tension, but then she relaxed and allowed it. She even kissed back, though timidly, but at least she didn't seem to be too scared.
Breathing through her nose, Rainbow Dash brought Fluttershy closer, to which the other Pegasus didn't object to. If anything, Fluttershy herself seemed to get closer as it happened, reciprocating the action. The kiss became more mutual as the moments ticked by, with Fluttershy's lip movement becoming less timid and more thorough, but gentle.
Neither knew how long the kiss lasted, but it felt like an eternity before they pulled away. Both quiet, their eyes, half-lidded, peered at each other in a mild daze. The sound to be heard was the sound of the train moving, along with their soft breathing.
Rainbow Dash gently lay her forehead against Fluttershy's, just gazing at her with so much adoration and love. Now having kissed her, held her so close, she just couldn't let her go. The elation, the wonder within her heart, was incomparable. Not even the Best Young Flyers' competition could compete.
“....Rainbow Dash....” Fluttershy managed, her voice breathless. Her eyes gleamed in the moonlight, her entire countenance dazed, and yet very relaxed, content.
“Fluttershy...” Was all Rainbow Dash could muster in response.
Within moments, not a word spoken, they kissed again. This time, though neither moved for a few moments, it was more in savouring the contact. Rainbow Dash brought her forelegs around Fluttershy completely, holding her. In turn, Fluttershy's own forelimbs came around Rainbow Dash, holding to her tightly for support. Her kisses were less timid, this time with more response than than before. The cyan Pegasus kissed her tenderly, like a lover, as gently and slowly as she could muster. Yet, the strong urge to deepen it was overtaking her. Fluttershy responded in kind to every kiss, even letting little moans escape her between kisses.
Their forms silhouetted against the moonlight along the window, close together, as their kiss continued. After some time, neither knew how long, it was then that Rainbow Dash gently lowered Fluttershy onto the seat, laying over her, as their forms disappeared into the shadows against the light of the moon.
The night went on.
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I will read the new chapter tomorrow after school.
I love this.
651154
nopony else????
667554
No problem! I honestly didn't know the difference, so it's all good.
667565 I generate brohooves at an incredible rate. She has all of them for now, but tomorrow i'll have 200,000 more. If brohooves could be converted to energy, I would power the world.
I can't even... it's just... this chapter... D'AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!
And I'm not wrong when I feel like I've read half this chapter before, right? I got nostalgia reading like a third of that.
You're such an awesome writer, Nintendo Gal. I can't wait to see more from you. Not to mention I'm going to read all your other fics too.
So many smiley emoticons because that's how great your story made me feel!
img.ponibooru.org/_images/13735c416fc476207bbc9faa2d6fe378/112754%20-%20artist%3Amazzlebee%20bunny_ears%20cute%20cutealoo%20Scootabunny%20scootaloo.png
Thanks, Nintend-Gal!... That's how I wanna say your name, so I'll say it like that. Rolls of the virtual internet tongue better!
667937
Aww, and nothing feels better than sweet nostalgia! 
Thanks so much! I'm very glad you enjoyed it!
Awwww, that image of Scootaloo with bunny ears! So cute!!!
>Fluttershy blushed, but didn't make an attempt to move away. “Oh, stop it...”
3.bp.blogspot.com/-irsTclITh6M/T79AVqBqwVI/AAAAAAAADBI/Wf-0EcNuY7E/s1600/oh-stop-it-you-picsay.jpg
667747
hmmmm i wonder if you could make a brohoof powered car lol
This story was excellent, and you're bloody good at writing introspection. I envy you for that
I know you said the ending was up to the reader, but if you ever randomly feel the urge to write an epilogue to this, I would love to see it.
I love this
:D
so amazing.
but i find that that ( )'s interupt the flow of the story, but then again, that could just be my dyslexia...
This was so cuuuuuuutte
Just a personal thought i always wondered how akward it would be if somepony like Twilight walked in while they were kissing
672291
Thanks! :D
XD Well, I'll answer that for you! >83
Twilight Sparkle could've sworn she heard voices coming from Fluttershy's cabin. She had just been on her way back from the bathroom, on her way back to her own cabin when she heard the sounds, the voices. Whether to feel concerned or just merely curious, Twilight Sparkle approached the door and listened. There were mumbles she couldn't make out from the other side of the door, then it was silent all over again. Was she asleep? Did something happen?
Just to be sure, she used her magic to slide open the pocket door.
"Fluttershy, is everything okay? I heard voices and I wondered if-"
The reason Twilight cut herself off mid-sentence was because of the sight she saw.
Fluttershy was laying on her back on the seat under the window, with Rainbow Dash on top of her, both of them wrapped in an embrace. Moments before their heads snapped up and turned to look at her, they had been kissing. On the lips, like lovers. Twilight swallowed, unmoving, as she looked into the shocked, wide eyes of her friends. What had she just walked in on? Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy...together...lying on each other...embracing....kissing. She had just walked in on them kissing.
Blushing widly, Twilight wasn't sure whether or not to bolt, or to question this. Clearly SOMETHING was going on here.
It was deathly silent until Rainbow Dash spoke up, sporting a very sheepish, guilty smile, as if she were a filly caught with her hoof in the cookie jar.
"...It's exactly what it looks like."
XD There you go!
669271
Thank you! ^^ I'm glad you liked it!
XD Well, maybe! But really, I want all of you to decide what happened and for no answer to be wrong.
But I completely understand your sentiment! 
672337 I can totally imagine Dash saying thatb
That would make one interesting letter to the Princess XD
672665
Thank you, thank you, I'm here all week! *Bows*
XD Yes, yes it would, wouldn't it? Let's see...
Dear Princess Celestia,
While I admit it was kind of embarrassing to have walked in on Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy kissing, which of course led me to discover them being more than friends, I did learn something of it all.
When it comes to falling in love, you never know who you might end up falling for. Sometimes it can be the last pony you ever expected. But when you realize how you can't help these feelings, you can address them from there on and do whatever it is you can do about them. Sometimes you do fall in love with a friend of yours, and that can sometimes lead to new discoveries.
But sometimes, if you give somepony a chance, especially if they're a friend of yours, you never know what could happen. Most of all, love is love, and it doesn't matter if you fall in love with a mare or a stallion. What truly matters is the pony underneath, and why you love them.
Your faithful student, Twilight Sparkle
672813 Your sooo Awesome!!!!!!!!
676174
But thank you for the sweet sentiment! 
I am not...
680772
XD Well goodness, get a move on and read some more! There are some serious gems here that you must read. 
The first you've read?
xD Thanks for the moustache rating!
A few things I would like to point out. I'll try to keep it short. Here, I give you, what I am going to call, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
The Good
There are a lot of good things in this story. The interactions that you gave us between the the two is phonominal. Seriously. Nearly every scene with the two was perfectly placed, near perfectly written, and at nearly every moment of the entire story had a purpose to it. I loved the way you did the chapters: with the first being the intro, the second being RD, third being FS, and the last being "the moment." It really suited the story, and if I were to rewrite the story, I would do it the same way (most likely). Also, holy fishtanks, the buildup to "the moment" was amazing. The story took its time, teasing hte reader with hints of it happening before taking it away, until finally it happens. The ending was, honestly, perfectly placed, and while it doesn't say for certain... yeah... wing boners were had that night. Oh, and the line "We just came from a wedding, so that's kinda why I thought of it, right? Yeah, let's go with that!" was by far the best of the story.
The Bad
Honestly, there wasn't anything I can point out and say "no!" to in this story. If I were to say anything really, its that the story at times, especially the final chapter, seemed to drone on and on a little bit. "But wait ugugg93! You said just now that the buildup was great!" Yes I did, and it is, but I feel that there are a lot of points in this story that I had the urge to skip ahead, because we had already talked about that moment already. I really can't think of any particular examples really, but all I can say is that I feel like this chapter is about 1-2k words too long. I dont' know, I did a poor job explaining, and I apologize for that, but its how I feel dammit!
The Ugly
Ok, normally, I put this section here because I comment about grammar mistakes, spelling errors, and other minor details that either make the story skippy, or unreadable. However, these mistakes are very few and far in between in this story. The grammar is amazing, and if you have a prereader, you should pat that man/woman on the shoulder. If not, then you are nuts for doing so well solo. The only notable spelling error that I saw was you typed "mayh" instead of "may", but like I said, very minor. Also, whenever you put in elipses (the ".."), make sure you put a space afterwards, "like... umm... this", not "like...umm...this". Once again, a very minor thing. Finally, and this is probably the biggest grief I have with the grammar, is that you put in parentheses. Its an opinion yes, but whenever I see a story that uses them, it irks me a little, because, to me, it breaks up the flow. It is so easy to replace a parentheses with commas, and it helps the story to flow better. For example, you put "The one pony she trusted the most with her secrets (aside from Rarity) and with her feelings.". Now, what I personally think sounds better would be The one pony she trusted the most with her secrets, aside from Rarity, and with her feelings." Sure, it sounds minor as hell, but to me, I think it makes a world of a difference (again, opinion, but something you should look into).
All in all, I love the story, and I am stunned at how quickly you make such quality work!
On a final note, your comment right here (672337) reminded me of This one shot "story" right here. Its very short, fun, and made me die laughing.
681023
That's a neat little rating system, and I have to thank you for the constructive criticism! I can definitely see where the little bumps were pointed out, and I think you're right. XD I don't know, I got into the brackets thing going on recently and I guess it DOES kind of detract if it's unnecessary.
Thanks sooooo much!
As for the length, I see what you mean! Yeah, I didn't have a set "plan" for how long this chapter would be, but there were some things I wanted to cover and I really wanted to make a good buildup to "the moment", and in times I just lost myself and it took a mind of its own. Overall, I guess you have a point there, where you feel the urge to skip ahead. Understandable! I've had that happen before. I may go ahead and fix it if I have to cut it down just a bit.
XDDD I don't know how I missed that spelling mistake! Silly me. I'll take care of it, though. Same for those ellipses, I'll go ahead and fix those too.
Thanks so much again for your input, and I'm very glad you enjoyed the story! Your awesome theorizing has inspired me and I'm so glad I was able to put it down in pretty good writing.
It went accordingly as I planned! An introduction to set things up, RD's introspection, then Fluttershy's, and then the finale with the "moment".
681641
You can start there if you wanted. 
I do have a few in my favourites that I definitely recommend!
I wish I could hear what happens next after the train ride. ; . ; Lovely story though!
686293
I know, I think anypony would feel that way after a bit of an open ending. XD But you can have all the fun you want making interpretations as to what could happen! 
Thanks very much!
687283
Oh, I'm sorry if you misconstrued that! No, in one of Fluttershy's flashbacks, which took place before "May The Best Pet Win" (and also took place before "Sonic Rainboom"), I featured a tortoise there. That's the tortoise that would later be Tank. It was just a little nod to the series, really. I'm sorry if you misunderstood, though.
This was my first Fanfic I've ever read and after 3 days of non stop reading of FlutterDash fanfics, I'm all out from this site and FanFiction.whatever (That I could find). But I digress and let me say, this was one of the best and one of my favorite FlutterDash fanfics I've read so far (Behind "Torrents of Slow Falling Rain"). I absolutely loved the pacing here and it never seemed rushed or too slow, the build up was excelent, and the um... connection in the last chapter was truely AWESOME
. As for your grammar and spelling, I am picky when it comes to this kind of stuff, but it was near flawless! I only found an occasional spelling mistake such as putting riends instead of friends and putting in the word "than" twice. Other than that I enjoyed this fic and all of your other ones and I must say, you are quite the author. Keep it up. Oh, any other Flutterdash fanfics you liked/enjoyed, please reccomend them to me. I need something to do with my life :P
687582
Thank you kindly! Always good to hear somepony enjoyed a story!
Well, if you want some ones I liked, I have some FlutterDash fanfics in my favourites! I'm still on the hunt for more, too. XD But at the same time, I shall do what I can to supply as well!
I just want to say this is the best fanfic I've ever read.
I felt it was beautifully crafted, being able to see the memories from both sides was really neat, the tie ins to the show were amazing, and I have never felt so much tension to see how things turn out in the end. I was on the edge of my seat the entire last chapter, enjoying the entire experience. Thank you for this amazing story. 
Yay....
More adorable than a basket full of kittens.
A sweet short, yet well written story.
A delight for my needs to read. I enjoyed it very much.
I love FlutterDash, I truly do. But out of all the fics about it I've read, yours is the cutest and the best
I've never experienced joy while reading like that! And that extra blurb about Twilight and the letter, it was cute~! Oh, I wish I could write as sentimental as you 
Six out of five moustaches!
Wow... easily one of the most well written romances I have ever read, that kiss. . .
Hnnng! <3 Love this story. So cute and sweet.
Seems like I have to blame it on you, when I explain to my boss why I was late for work.
Excellent story, really enjoyed it through and through =)
Read both Dash Bash and Pegasi Intospection now, and both are so well written and filled with the mares feelings =)
Thanks for sharing =)
667372 This was the last chapter remember?
The ending letter could have fitted in the actual story as a bonus chapter or something
thoughts
the ending itself without the letter just leaves me with
now I can't sleep without some tmi stuff running through my brain
D'aw soooo cute. I don't even ship, but if I did, it would be Flutterdash, and you nailed all the reasons why! (Also, my "like" got you to an even 100!)
825663 Then it looks like my work here is done!
To even get non-shippers to like it, yay! XD Thank you! 
831552 Wow! I wish my computer was self-aware to play some music when I read FlutterDash! That's awesome!
A nice touching story. Rather soothing and compassionate............ I LOVE IT!
Not even any more!
This is such a sweet story.
You have an awesome talent. NintendoGal55.
Liked and favorited!
860440 Thank you kindly! I'm very glad you enjoyed it!
This was so sweet and well-written that it gave me diabetes. And two strokes. Damn youuuuu~
So much daw. A lot of people said that, but it's all I can say. And I love the way you answered questions in the comments, it's nice to see someone going the extra mile and continuing the story just a tiny bit.
"and the night went on..."
megusta :}
672337 I read this story after reading your later fic, heated, and i cant help but think that you writing this twilight part was partially where you got your idea for pinkie. Also, its not ALL too ambiguous with that extra bit, If they are kissing like lovers, then one might assume that they would end up romantically involved...
that
was
amazing
honestly. I'm not sure how long it will be before i stop thinking about this thing. It was...well... amazing. I feel bad writing my own RainbowShy after reading this. I guess i just have to hope nobody reads this then reads mine, that way they wont be comparing them
1048693 XD I've read yours! It's definitely different enough! And I like it.
Don't even worry about it. 
Thank you very much!
1048693 XD I've read yours! It's definitely different enough! And I like it.
Don't even worry about it. 
Thank you very much!